


Secondary

by AMidnightDreary



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, First Meetings, Hopeful Ending, Inspired by Aladdin (Disney Movies), M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:14:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23549737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AMidnightDreary/pseuds/AMidnightDreary
Summary: Loki doesn't want to get married. He also doesn't want his fiancé to appear on his balcony in the middle of the night, but Anthony doesn't seem to care about that.
Relationships: Loki & Tony Stark, Loki/Tony Stark
Comments: 36
Kudos: 258





	Secondary

**Author's Note:**

> This just happened.

The thing about being the younger prince was this: Loki was, in the literal sense of the word,  _ secondary.  _ His brother was only two years older, but that difference meant that Loki would not wear the crown as long as Thor lived, that he mattered less and still had less freedom, and that he had nothing whatsoever to say when it came to state affairs.

It also meant that he was expendable.

Loki had spent his life doing everything he could to gather at least some strings he could pull, and he had done so quietly and subtly. Thor didn't even notice when he was manipulated into doing what his Loki wished, and Odin paid so little attention to Loki that he wasn't aware of his younger son's schemes. Frigga noticed, or at least Loki had thought so once or twice, but so far she hadn't interfered.

It wasn't like Loki wanted the throne. He didn't - all he wanted was to be able to make decisions for himself, to choose what to do with his life without having to bow to any rules or traditions.

It wasn't too much to ask, really, but right now it was more out of his reach than ever before.

Loki couldn't sleep. After lying in bed and staring at the ceiling for what felt like hours, he gave it up and left his bedroom. There wasn't anywhere he could go; there were guards in front of the doors to Loki's quarters and also everywhere else in the palace. Loki rarely ever left - wasn't allowed to leave -, only sometimes he sneaked out and hid in the anonymity that ruled the busy streets.

He opened the door to his balcony and stepped out, taking a deep breath. The air was cold, but it helped to clear his head. The city below him was still alive - the people were still celebrating the arrival of a suitor who was worthy of marrying a prince of Asgard.

_ Marriage. _

Loki sneered at the thought. He had known this day would come, of course. For years now his father had been trying to marry him off into a wealthy and powerful and preferably royal family - what use was Loki in Asgard, after all? He wouldn't be king. He wouldn't be anything at all. Just Loki, always. His only purpose was being a good catch for a first prince in another kingdom.

"You look like you had an  _ extraordinarily _ shitty day."

Loki flinched, and the thought that he didn't even have a single dagger on himself was the first to crash down on him - only then he even realized who had spoken.

Anthony Edward Stark was just a few steps away, on the other side of the parapet. With his arms resting on the stone and his chin propped up on his hand, he looked completely at ease, as if nothing at all was amiss.

"What are  _ you _ doing here?" Loki snapped. He had taken a few steps back from the railing, and his shock was already turning into anger.

Anthony raised his hands in a gesture that was probably meant to soothe, but his smirk stayed in place. "Whoops, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."

Loki gritted his teeth. "How did you get here?"

The other prince raised a brow, unimpressed. "I climbed."

A lie. Obviously. Loki narrowed his eyes. He knew by experience that it was impossible to climb up to his balcony; there just was nothing to hold onto. And besides, what was Anthony even  _ standing _ on? From Loki's position it looked like he was floating in the air, which -

Not important.

"I do not wish to speak to you," Loki said. "Actually, I do not even wish to see you. So if you'd be so kind to leave right now, I will refrain from calling the guards."

"Right," Anthony said, and then he hoisted himself up until he could sit down on the parapet, flinging his legs over to Loki's side. "Look, I know today was pretty bad for you, and I don't hold it against you, but have you considered, just for a  _ tiny _ moment, that it might have been really fucking bad for me, too?"

Loki could only stare at him.

"I'll take that as a no," Anthony said. "That's okay, I get it. Who thinks about what's going on in other people's heads, anyway? So, the thing is, you and I are going to get married whether we like it or not, and I thought it'd be nice to meet each other properly, without all the - you know, all the fanfares and everything. And without our parents. I'm really tired of our parents being anywhere near us, to be honest. I'm sure you feel the same?"

Loki hadn't known that Anthony could talk this much. He had barely said ten words the whole day, just like Loki himself. Loki needed a moment to understand that Anthony wasn't just talking, he was  _ rambling,  _ and judging by his lopsided grin and the look in his eyes, he was - 

Nervous?

Loki yanked his eyes aware from Anthony and slowly approached the parapet. He leaned forward, trying to figure out how Anthony had gotten up here. There was nothing but air beneath the balcony, though.

"Could you say something?" 

Loki glanced at his visitor, then looked back down again. "How did you get here?"

Anthony sighed. "Something else? Could you say something else?"

"I might be inclined to say something else if you answer my question."

Anthony glared at him a little, but after a moment he gave in. He turned around again, his legs dangling in the air without the safety of the balcony beneath them. He seemed completely unconcerned by the height, though; he just looked over his shoulder at Loki and said, "Fine, but don't call the guards on me."

And then he jumped.

Loki surged forward, reaching out to grab Anthony and keep him from falling, but he didn't get to him in time. His heart beating much too fast, Loki leaned over the parapet again, much further this time, and he nearly stumbled backward when he saw that Anthony was still right there, standing -

Standing in the air.

Because that was something people did, obviously.

Loki gaped at him, and Anthony slowly floated upward until they were at eye-level. Anthony's smirk was back 

"Did I scare you again?" 

"No," Loki lied. "How are you doing this?"

"Oh, right." Anthony reached out and grabbed something in the air, fingers folding around something invisible. "Here you go."

The air shifted, and suddenly there wasn't just air anymore. There was a - a  _ thing, _ Loki wasn't sure what to call it. A metal plate, basically, big and oddly formed, and what Anthony was holding looked like a  _ tiller. _

"A boat," Loki breathed. "Oh. A  _ boat." _

Anthony blinked. "Yes. I mean, I didn't give it a name yet, but. Boat will do."

"Did you  _ make _ this?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm sort of an inventor. I mean, when my father isn't harassing me."

Loki looked at Anthony, stunned. "I would like to know how it works," he said finally, amazed enough that he even remembered his manners. "If you are willing to share, that is."

Anthony seemed surprised, but after a second he smiled. "Sure, why not? Let's go for a ride."

"A ride," Loki echoed blankly.

"Yup. This palace of yours is making me nervous. We can leave the city, fly to somewhere nice, and we - we can talk."

_ Leave the city. _

Loki hadn't left the city in years.

Anthony flew the boat over the parapet and then downward, until it was low enough that Loki could simply step onto it - if he wanted to.

Anthony was still smiling. He held out his hand. "What do you say?"

Loki barely even hesitated. He took Anthony's hand and joined him on the boat, and he even returned Anthony's grin. 

Maybe, just maybe, Anthony wasn't as boring as Loki had thought.


End file.
